


The Moon and Back

by romeoandjulietyouwish



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Adopted Peter Parker, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Crying, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hugs, Hurt Peter, Hurt Peter Parker, Hurt/Comfort, Kid Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Parent Tony Stark, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker Whump, Precious Peter Parker, Protective James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Protective Tony Stark, Self-Doubt, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-09
Updated: 2020-02-09
Packaged: 2021-02-27 22:42:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22633714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/romeoandjulietyouwish/pseuds/romeoandjulietyouwish
Summary: Prompt: Tony is focusing over Morgan and ignores Peter and baby Peter becomes jealous and eventually has his first ever rebellion against Tony and pepper(Or: Peter has doubts about whether or not his parents love him anymore)
Relationships: Peter Parker & James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Peter Parker & Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe) & Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Pepper Potts, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 15
Kudos: 469





	The Moon and Back

Peter is sitting up in his bed, gently running his fingers through his stuffed bear’s fur. When Tony and Pepper first gave it to him after his adoption, the fur had been neat and smooth, but now after years of Peter cuddling it and dragging his fingers through the fur, it’s thick and matted. But Peter couldn’t care less. Just touching the bear brings him an enormous amount of comfort. 

In the other room, Peter can hear his dad saying goodnight to Morgan, “I love you, Morgan.” Tony’s voice is soft. 

“I love you 3000,” Morgan says sleepily. 

“Goodnight, peanut.”

Tony’s footsteps echo down the hallway towards Peter’s door. Peter expects him to stop, to come in and say goodnight, tell him he loves him, but the footsteps just continue down the hallway to his parents’ bedroom. 

He doesn’t know why he expects it. Tony hasn’t said goodnight to him in months. Not since Morgan began demanding more and more of him at bedtime. 

Peter curls onto his side away from the door, clutching his stuffed bear close to his chest. His parents don’t have time for him anymore. Not since Morgan was born. And Peter understands, she’s a baby and she needs more attention. Besides, Peter knew this was going to happen. He’s not Pepper and Tony’s biological child, not like Morgan. So it follows that once they had a real kid of their own Peter would become an afterthought. 

Peter’s fourteen, he can take care of himself. But he wants his parents back. He wants things to go back to what they were before Morgan came along. But Peter loves Morgan. He loves his baby sister unconditionally. 

But it can’t fill the aching in his stomach that his parents don’t love him anymore. Peter curls his legs up to his chest and clenches his hands into fists. Maybe he’d be better off somewhere else. He could go stay with his uncle instead. 

He could be with someone who really loves him and would have time for Peter. Someone who wouldn’t forget about Peter’s AcaDeca meets and apologize through a four-word text. His uncle loves him even if his parents don’t. 

The next morning Peter wakes up more tired than he started. A quick glance at the clock shows him that it’s almost nine o’clock. With a groan, Peter forces himself out of bed. 

Peter wanders down the stairs to the smell of breakfast. He knows it’s well past the time they all eat together, but normally if he sleeps in his parents will put his plate in the microwave. He pads across the wooden floor and pops open the microwave. 

It’s empty.

Peter sighs and walks into the living room where His parents sit with Morgan watching some cartoons. Morgan is on Pepper’s lap, playing with her mother’s fingers. Tony is almost nodding off against the arm of the couch, but he keeps his eyes focused on the screen. 

“Is there any breakfast for me?” Peter asks without preamble. 

Tony even has the decency to look upset, “No, sorry, kid. We didn’t know when you’d be up.” 

“It’s fine,” Peter says quickly as he turns around and walks back in the kitchen. It is fine, he convinces himself. He’s old enough to make his own breakfast. He quickly pulls the eggs from the fridge and gets about making his own breakfast. 

Peter eats alone on the kitchen counter. He doesn’t want to go into the living room just to see his parents-

Morgan’s parents fuss over her every need. 

By the time Peter has cleaned his dishes, Pepper has left for work and Tony has headed to the shop. Maybe this is his chance to spend time with his dad for once. So Peter takes the elevator down to the shop and opens the door. His dad is hunched over his work, Morgan sitting in his lap playing with one of her toys.

“Dad?” Peter asks, hovering in the door of the shop. “Can I help you in here today?” 

Tony sighs, “I’m sorry, Pete, but I have to take care of Morgan in here since Pep’s working. I can’t risk being distracted and her getting hurt.” 

“It’s fine,” Peter says. “I have stuff to do anyway.”

Tony sighs, “Maybe tomorrow?”

Peter nods but he knows it won’t happen. He hasn’t worked in the shop with his dad in months. 

Peter spends the rest of the day locked in his room, eating a quick lunch. He works on a school project, but his mind always wanders back to his parents. Do they really not love him?

The more Peter thinks about it the more instances he comes up with where Morgan’s needs have always been put before his, even when it wasn’t necessary. Maybe this is Tony and Pepper’s way of silently pushing him out of their family. 

Peter doesn’t come down for dinner and neither of his parents comes up to get him, only furthering the sinking feeling in his stomach. 

So Peter stuffs a bag full of his clothes and as soon as his parents are distracted with Morgan after dinner, he ducks into the elevator and orders it down to the ground. From there he hails a taxi and tells the driver his uncle’s address. His heart is pounding the whole way, waiting for his parents to call his phone and ask where he is. They don’t. Within twenty minutes, Peter is standing in front of his favorite uncle’s door.

After three knocks, the door cracks open, revealing his Uncle Rhodey wearing a concerned frown, “Peter? What are you doing here? Is everything okay?”

Peter shakes his head, looking at his feet, “Can-can I stay here tonight?” 

“Of course,” Rhodey steps aside and wraps an arm around Peter as he leads him to the couch. “Did something happen with your parents? Do they know you’re here?”

Peter shakes his head. 

Peter has always loved his uncle’s apartment. It’s the perfect mix of comfort and familiarity. On the back of the couch is a worn quilt that Rhodey used to use to make Peter a fort in the living room, all of his mugs are chipped and stained, and it’s homey. It’s just what Peter needs right now. 

Peter drops his bag by his feet as he sits on the couch and turns to his uncle with sad eyes. Rhodey rubs his back, “What’s going on?” 

Peter takes a shaky breath, “I don’t think mom and dad want me anymore.”

Rhodey’s eyes bulge, “What? Peter, your parents love you.”

“No they don’t,” Peter shakes his head. “They hardly ever spend time with me anymore. And I know Morgan is still a baby and she needs their attention but it really hurts when they don’t say goodnight to me or they come to my events anymore. I can’t remember the last time they said they loved me,” Peter cries.

“Oh, Peter,” Rhodey pulls Peter into a tight hug, just as protective and caring as when Peter was a child. “I’m sure it’s just a misunderstanding.”

Peter shakes his head, “I don’t think so. I’m not really their kid so it makes sense that once they got one of their own there wouldn’t be room for me and they’d want to get rid of me-”

“Stop that, Peter,” Rhodey squeezes him tighter. “Your parents love you more than anything.” He pushes Peter back, holding him at arm’s length. “On the day they signed your adoption papers your dad came to me in tears saying that he was going to ruin your life and that he was going to ruin you.”

“Uncle Rhodey-”

“Let me finish first,” he squeezes Peter’s shoulder. “I told him that he was going to make a hundred thousand mistakes with you. But as long as he held you tight and loved you fiercely he would be a wonderful parent. And I think he forgot that. So what’s going to happen is that you’re going to get some sleep and in the morning your parents will be here and talk everything out as a family. I promise everything will be alright. Do you trust me?”

Peter nods. 

“Good.” Rhodey squeezes his shoulder. “I’m going to grab you a blanket and some pillows so you can camp out here for the night.”

“Thanks, Uncle Rhodey,” Peter smiles at him. 

Rhodey shares the sentiment and walks to the closet, coming back a few minutes later with heaps of blankets that he tosses on top of his nephew. Peter laughs lightly and it’s like music to Rhodey. He hates seeing Peter so broken-hearted. 

“Have a good sleep, kid,” Rhodey says gently as he tucks a pillow under Peter’s head. 

“Goodnight, Uncle Rhodey,” Peter whispers. 

Peter lays his head down on the pillow and slowly sinks into a deep sleep.

The first thing he hears when he wakes up is crying. He keeps his eyes tight shut, “How could we do this to him?” Pepper cries. “How did we not notice?”

“We fucked up,” Tony says simply. “And now we have to get our son back.” There’s a shuffle. “Thank you for taking care of our son, honey bear.”

“Of course, Tones. I love that kid.”

“We all do.” 

“Do you think he’s awake yet?” Pepper asks, sniffing. 

“Let’s check.” 

Peter hears people walk back into the living room and two people approach him. 

“Peter? Baby? Are you awake?” Tony’s hand strokes through Peter’s curls. 

Groggily, Peter pretends to wake up, “Dad?”

“I’m here, bambino.” 

Peter opens his eyes to find Tony sitting on the coffee table, leaning over to touch his head. Pepper is sitting on the couch by his feet, dabbing away her tears with a tissue. And Rhodey is standing in the doorway, turning away when he sees Peter is up. 

“Why are you here?” Peter asks even though he already knows the answer. He sits up and curls into the corner of the sofa, forcing Tony’s hand to fall between them. 

“Rhodey called us, sweetheart,” Pepper moves closer so she is sitting beside Tony. “He said that you were safe with him and that we should come by in the morning to work everything out.” She squeezes his foot, “Why did you run away, baby? Do you really think we don’t love you anymore?” 

“Yeah,” Peter whispers, looking at his knees. “I just don’t really feel like part of this family anymore. You guys always spend so much time with Morgan-”

“She’s barely two, Peter,” Tony says quickly. “She needs attention.”

“And what about me, dad?” Peter bites. “Don’t I need attention too? When was the last time we worked together in your workshop? When was the last time you chose to come to my decathlon meets instead of babysitting Morgan? When was the last time you said goodnight to me? When was the last time you told me you loved me? Because I sure as hell don’t remember. But the sad thing is I understand. I understand that Morgan is your biological child. And who am I? Just some kid you found and made your son. I’m nobody.” By the time he’s finished both of his parents are crying and Peter finds tears falling from his own eyes. 

“Peter,” Tony breathes. A second later, Tony and Pepper both wrap him in a crushing hug, holding him as tight as they can. “I love you so much, bambino. I’m sorry we made you feel like that. I am so so sorry. I’ll do better, I swear to you I will do better.” 

“We both will,” Pepper corrects. “I love you so very much, Petey,” Pepper says, using a nickname she hasn’t called him in years. “To the moon and back again.”

And things get better. Tony makes a strong effort to spend at least one hour alone with Peter, watching a movie, working in the lab, helping with homework, anything. Some days Pepper and Tony hire one of his aunts or uncles to watch Morgan while they take a day trip together. But Peter’s favorite moments are when both of his parents squish themselves onto his bed, give him long hugs, and tell him how much they love him before kissing his head and wishing him a good night. 

But when it really solidifies in Peter’s mind that his parents love him is when he accepts his first-place trophy for the science fair and the first people jumping to their feet, screaming, are his parents. 

Peter beams.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos make me smile; comments make my day!
> 
> You can send me more prompts like this in the comments or on my tumblr @romeoandjulietyouwish


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